"Many restaurants are happy to make substitutions or put together dishes that, strictly speaking, aren't on the menu. That's actually encouraged in fast food with all the secret menus and hacks you hear about online. At the New York City Wine & Food Fest at the Seaport, Tasting Table caught up with Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, owner of Cecchi's restaurant, to get his insight. His answer was unequivocal. "No," Cecchi-Azzolina says."
""No. We have a menu for a certain reason," he explains. While there are certain circumstances when there is some wiggle room for diners, most kitchens won't accommodate changes because it affects both the dish's flavor and the timing of its preparation. So what does that mean for diners? "If you can't find what you want on the menu, you should probably go somewhere else," Cecchi-Azzolina says."
""We spend countless hours developing a dish, and we don't want somebody to come in and wreck it," Chef Jon Shook once told Today. At his restaurant, they don't even make accommodations for people with allergies. They simply recommend a different dish. But Cecchi-Azzolina isn't so rigid. "So, look, you have dietary restrictions, absolutely, we're happy to do that," he says."
Fine dining restaurants generally expect orders to follow the menu because dishes are developed for specific flavor profiles and coordinated timing. Many kitchens will refuse substitutions that change a dish's composition or preparation schedule. Some establishments will accommodate reasonable substitutions for dietary restrictions, while others recommend choosing a different menu item or restaurant. Chefs emphasize protecting the integrity of crafted dishes and may decline modifications to avoid compromising quality. Diners who cannot find suitable options on a menu are advised to select a different place that can reliably meet their preferences or needs.
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